LOOK WHAT I DID WITH MY DAD A BOAT Text by ANNA OBIOLS Illustrations by SUBI
LOOK WHAT I DID WITH MY DAD A BOAT Text by ANNA OBIOLS Illustrations by SUBI
I remember the day I made loads of drawings of boats I wanted to build with Dad. Well Martin, you ll have to choose one of them. There are a range of different vessels here, he said, looking at the sketches scattered around my bedroom. 2 3
I had even been to the library to f ind books on how to build boats, and before going to bed Mum and I would look at them. I had borrowed one that explained the history of the f irst boats and we took a good look at the different models, reading about their distinctive features. 4 5
The following day Dad was taking our old iron and a few fused light bulbs to the scrapyard, and I went in the car with him. Maybe we ll f ind something we can use to build the boat, I said hopefully. Lets see if we re in luck, he replied. 6 7
Mike, who is in charge of the scrapyard, let us in to sort through the odds and ends. There are all sorts of things in a place like this! I picked up some pieces of wood with pointed tips because I thought I could use them for the front part of the boat, a scrap of old material, a broomstick... 8 9
And this bath is wonderful!, I cried gleefully. You mean you want us to take it home, Martin? Yes, of course! The bath was diff icult to move, as it was bulky and very heavy. It was hard to load it into the trailer as well. Luckily, Mike gave us a hand and Dad has a knack for these things. 10 11
When Mum saw that we were unloading a rusty old bath in our garden she thought we had gone mad. We ve also brought a broomstick, a scrap of material and some pieces of wood for the bow of the boat, I told her. 12 13
First we placed the broomstick in the bath. We didn t need the plug, so we took it out and we had our mainmast. Then we took the wooden stakes and nailed them together. This was the most diff icult part, and it was a good thing Dad was helping me, otherwise I wouldn t have managed. 14 15
When the bath was beginning to look like a boat I took the scrap of cloth and spread it out on the grass. Fetching my box of paints, I transformed it into a pirate f lag. Then I went to f ind a rope and hoisted the sail all the way up. 16 17
I also made a rudder, an anchor and a sturdy pair of oars. And I still had time to make myself a pirate s cap, an eye-patch and the telescope that was supposed to help me f ind far-off treasures. 18 19
All that was left was to try the cannon that shoots coloured balloons I had designed myself. Hurrah! It works! May the adventure begin! 20 21
I ve already made lots of voyages with my friends; we ve experienced fortune and misfortune in a number of seas and oceans. Like pirates, we made a surprise attack on a boat. 22 23
We also found a map that led us to a desert island. After taking f ifteen steps to the right and ten more to the left from the tallest palm tree, we found and dug up a great treasure... of sweets! 24 25
One day we hit an iceberg. We all fell into the icy water and were lucky to be saved by a rookery of penguins. It then took us ages to repair the boat in order to make our return journey! 26 27
Sometimes I like to travel in my boat alone. When I m out at sea I pick up my f ishing rod and try my luck. Many a time, I even fall asleep. John, the lighthouse keeper, though, always wakes me up before it gets dark by making light signals to me. 28 29
One thing is for sure: I always end up returning to the same port. Martin, dinner time!, I hear Mum shout. See you on our next adventure!, I say before walking indoors. 30 31
PARTS OF A BOAT Mainmast Mast Triangular sail Square sail Port (left side) Bowsprit Stern (rearmost part) Bow Hull Rudder Starboard (right side) Keel 32 33
T YPES OF BOATS Sloops Canoes Aircraft carriers Ever since man was man there have been boats. The f irst vessels were simple and were used for f ishing: initially they were just tree trunks tied together. Later on, when man had tools, he was able to empty out the trunks and make the f irst vessels that moved with oars. Primitive man also realised that the wind was a f ine source of energy, so he placed a tree upright in the middle of the boat and hoisted the sails. Over time, the driving system would change and we can speak of three types of boats. Firstly, those driven by manpower-the pole was replaced by oars. Secondly, those driven by the action of the wind-with the help of sails. Thirdly, those driven by the action of an enginethe sail was replaced by the steam engine and later on by the internal combustion engine. Nowadays some war ships are equipped with nuclear energy. Boats can be classif ied in many ways; for example, according to the number of hulls, or to their shape and size, to the material used in their construction, to the type of propulsion, to the moment they appeared, to their geographic origin, etc. All vessels are designed for specif ic activities, whether they be investigation, transportation, sport and leisure, war or industry. This explains why they come in so many shapes and sizes and why we can speak of different types. Aircraft carriers: Large warships equipped to serve as a base for military aircraft. Canoes: Long, narrow and very light vessels that are propelled by human force, working the paddles. Cod-f ishing trawler: Boats adapted to cod-f ishing with trawl nets. Dredgers: Barges designed for dredging harbours or other waters. Gondolas: Traditional rowing boats characteristic of Venice. Icebreakers: Ships designed for breaking channels in iced waters. Ocean liners: Large luxurious ships for transporting passengers and goods across oceans, formerly on regular lines such as the Atlantic route between Europe and America. One of the most famous was the Titanic. Oil tankers: Ships designed to transport oil or other derived products. Sloops: Small one-masted sailing boats with a staysail. Submarines: Submersible craft, most of which are designed for military or scientif ic purposes. Tugs: Powerful boats used for towing other vessels. Yachts: Medium-sized sailing or powered boats equipped with a deck and a cabin and used for cruising or racing. Ocean liners Cod-fishing trawler Gondolas 34 35
LOOK WHAT I DID WITH MY DAD Original title: A BOAT Text: Anna Obiols Illustrations: SUBI - Joan Subirama- Design and layout: Martina Hassler Gemser Publications, S.L. 2012 El Castell, 38 08329 Teià (Barcelona, Spain) www.mercedesros.com Titles In This Series : - A HUT - A CAR - A ROCKET ISBN: XXX-XX-XXXXX-XX-X Printed in China All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, by photostat, microfilm, xerography, or any other means, or incorporated into any information retrieval system, electronic or mechanical, without the written permission of the copyright owner.